


Promise

by LunaNocis



Category: VIXX
Genre: Fluff, Hidden Feelings, M/M, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 21:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15470598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaNocis/pseuds/LunaNocis
Summary: Year after year since he was 10, Hakyeon has been meeting a very special friend, Hongbin, in his coast village. Every year, he promises to return, and so he does... And as they meet, something unexplicable seems to change between them.





	Promise

Hakyeon walked through the rocks carefully, the smell of the sea filling his nose. Though he’d become an expert in waddling through the slippery ground, he didn’t want to risk getting hurt and having to explain to his parents what was he doing in that part of the beach. It had been a long year waiting to come back here...

The water looked as clear as he remembered it; the sounds of the seagulls and the distant laughs of the families brought by the wind filled the air… Hakyeon walked closer to the edge, trying to find a place where he could get closer to the water safely. The sea was calm now, but you never know… When he looked down a couple of steps further, he saw a mop of pink floating in the water next to the rocks. He jumped down closer and poked it. “… Hongbin?” The pink mop ascended to reveal the face of a teen that looked at him, surprised. “Hakyeon?! I hadn’t seen you…!” “I’m sure you didn’t…” Hakyeon laughed, looking around; that was actually a good spot to settle in. He dropped his bag and sat down, taking off his flip-flops before putting his feet on the water.

“Whatever… Are you doing surf?” asked Hongbin, swimming closer. “Surf?” Hakyeon asked. “There aren’t any waves here, and I don’t know how to anyway… Why?” The younger pointed at him. “This swimsuit you’re wearing… It’s different. Like those from the kids with the surf tables.” “Ah, yes…” Hakyeon struck a pose, raising one leg seductively. “It’s new. Do you like it?” Hongbin looked at it, squinting. “If you like it…”

Hakyeon put his leg down, laughing. “That’s all you’re going to say? No ‘Hyung, I’ve missed you so much these past months! How have you been?’.” “What makes you think I’ve missed you?”  Hongbin asked, teasingly. He rested his arms on the elder’s lap. “Well, you definitely got fixed up this time…” The younger gave him a confused look and then looked down at the necklace he was wearing. “Ah, you mean this… It was a gift.” It was really simple, but pretty; a pearly seashell with pink reflexes and one pearl on each side.

“A gift? Did you get a girlfriend maybe?” “No…!” It was just a joke, but Hongbin’s face got all red. “Jaewhan said he met some mermaids around the south African coast that make them... And it reminded him of me, so he got this. And one for Wonsik too.” Hongbin didn’t talk much about family or friends, but when he did, it was always these two: Jaewhan, who apparently spent more time travelling around and collecting curious artefacts than at home, and Wonsik, the same age friend he grew up with that had an obsession for anything related to music. “Ah, really… It’s pretty! How are they doing?”

“They’re fine. Jaewhan brought back this thing too… We don’t really know what it is but Jaewhan says it’s supposed to make music, so Wonsik’s been trying to fix it. But we can’t figure out how…” “What does it look like?” “It’s like…” Hongbin said, forming a square shape with his hands, “Like this. A little box that can be opened… And it has these small metallic bars inside, and a crank on one side. But there’s a piece missing.” Hakyeon grabbed his phone and did a quick search.  “Something like this?” he showed a picture to Hongbin, and the younger nodded. “It’s called a music box. I’m sure I could find one if Wonsik wants to see it, what do you think?”

Hongbin nodded, “I’m sure he’d love that! We’ve been waiting for you to come the whole week…” Hakyeon smiled triumphally. “Aha! I knew you noticed I came late this year! And don’t you roll your eyes at me,” he added, because that’s exactly what the younger did, “I will ask Wonsik to tell me the truth when I see him…” “Why did you come so late?” Hongbin tried to keep his tone nonchalant, but the elder had learned to see a wide variety of undertones in Hongbin’s ‘nonchalant’. “It was nothing. My dad’s car broke while we were on our way, so we had to wait a couple of days to get a substitution car and all…” “Ah, that’s good… I mean…”

They stayed in silence for a while, just listening to the waves and the families spending their day happily right at the other side of the seawall. Looking down through the water, Hakyeon could see Hongbin’s tail, glimmering mysteriously. It was really pretty; the green contrasted nicely with his skin and his bright hair, and the little flippers flowed in the water like muslin.

The younger was distractedly playing with some weed growing off the rock next to his legs, and the elder took the chance to inspect him; Hongbin had grown a lot this past couple of years, his features becoming sharper, more defined… more adult-like. He was growing into a fine merman (Hakyeon always found the term a bit funny, but it was appropriate) and the elder couldn’t help but feel proud of him.

“You missed the fireworks.” “What?!” Hakyeon looked up at the sky, but there was nothing. “No, the fireworks from the festival… They looked really pretty. It’s a pity that you missed it.” The town’s fair had started two days ago; Hakyeon liked to stroll through the stalls of food, games and lots of handmade clothes and other objects. “Yeah, you’re right, I even b- Oh!” he reached for his backpack and started searching inside. “I brought you something… Look.”

Hakyeon handed a camera to Hongbin. “What’s this?” “A camera.” “And your big camera…?” “I left it at home today.” Hongbin went to grab it but stopped midway. “Wait, shouldn’t I dry my hands -” “Nope, it’s alright…” smiling confidently, Hakyeon dipped the camera into the water. The younger looked at him like he’d gone crazy. “What the…!” “It’s submergible. Come on” he said, handing the camera, “try turning it on.” Hongbin took it, still looking doubtful. “Are you sure… Oh!” He showed the screen, eyes wide like plates, to Hakyeon. “It’s working!” “Of course, didn’t I tell you…”

But Hongbin was too busy to listen to him; he submerged right away, and Hakyeon wondered if he should’ve warned him not to take it too deep… The younger came up a few moments later, smiling from ear to ear. “This is awesome!” Thinking back, maybe he was still a kid, despite everything… “I’m glad you like it! It’s not indestructible, and I’m afraid you can’t keep it underwater, but since you liked so much taking pics with my camera… I wanted to give it to you before the fair started, tho. For the fireworks.”

“There’ll be more fireworks.” Hongbin was looking at him in the eyes smiling, and Hakyeon almost felt something… But then the younger put the camera between them, taking a picture of him, and the moment was gone. “This weekend, when the fair closes… I’m going with the guys to watch them. Will you?” “Ah, yes, my parents want to go to, and they’ll be having dinner at their favourite restaurant as always.” “Can we meet after, then? Promise?” Hakyeon nodded, smiling. “Promise.”


End file.
